[rpmcmurphy]

The bigger issue for us Olds is that we have serious financial and family responsibilities that make us highly undesirable employees in today's modern "I've got mine! Fuck you!" society.

Imagine that you have a close family member with Stage 4 cancer. Who wants to have you on their team? Nobody, that's who. And you better be living in a jurisdiction with solid legal protections, or they will fire you in a hot second.

That is a far greater concern than salary stagnation.

[badpun]

Companies in general love people with obligations (kids, high mortgage etc.) because they're much more afraid of being fired, and thus are more obedient.

[WalterSear]

That hasn't been my experience, in particular when interviewing with managers and team leads younger than myself.

The last one slipped, and as much as admitted that he was concerned that I wouldn't be able to work as hard: he had presumed that I had children to take care of.

It used to piss me off, but now it's just discouraging.